Month: July 2024

2024 Rookie preview: Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders landed the top tightr end in the NFL draft.

Having had a solid season from a rookie tight end in Michael Mayer last season it came as a bit of a surprise that the Las Vegas Raiders decided to snag former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

However, when you consider the type of player that Bowers is and the kind of impact he can have on an offense, this comes in more and more as a slam dunk for an offense looking for an identity.

With the Raiders moving forward with either Gardner Minsher or Aidan O’Connell at the quarterback spot this season, it was imperative to find a young playmaker to help boost the prowess of this offense. With studs on the outside in Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, Bowers should be able to eat up the yardage all day in the middle of the field regardless of who is in at quarterback.

While Mayer is going to present some challenges for snaps, the Raiders should be inclined to get both their talented and young tight ends heavily involved in the offense. Bowers has the ability to play in the slot, off the line, wherever you want really, and should see lots of variance on where he gets the ball when the season comes around. Bowers should sit atop the tight end depth chart and find himself busy when the season rolls around.

Stat projection: 62 catches, 850 yards, 7 touchdowns

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No Cardinals but more Cardinals opponents in NFL Top 100 release of Players 40-31

In the latest group of players revealed in the NFL Top 100 Player, the Cardinals will face six of them

The summer tradition of the NFL Top 100 Players continues and the latest group of players who made the list were revealed. Players ranked 31-40 overall were revealed and no new Arizona Cardinals players were included.

Thus far, only safety Budda Baker has made the cut, coming in at No. 89, appearing in the top 100 for the fifth straight year.

But as has been the case with each group of players revealed in the top 100, there are multiple players whom the Cardinals will face in 2024.

These are the players ranked No. 40-31

NFL Top 100 Players in 2024 Nos. 40-31

  • No. 40: Raiders WR Davante Adamas
  • No. 39: Bengals QB Joe Burrow
  • No. 38: Jets CB Sauce Gardner
  • No. 37: Jets DT Quinnen Williams
  • No. 36: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
  • No. 35: Jaguars LB Josh Hines-Allen
  • No. 34: Packers QB Jordan Love
  • No. 33: Rams WR Puka Nacua
  • No. 32: Jets LB Quincy Williams
  • No. 31: Cowboys CB DaRon Bland

The Cardinals will face six of these players. They play Nacua and the Rams in Weeks 2 and 17. They face Love and the Packers on the road in Week 6. They face Tagovailoa and the Dolphins on the road in Week 8. They face Gardner and both Williams and the Jets at home in Week 10.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Packers training camp report: Live updates from Practice No. 7 in 2024

Live updates from the seventh training camp practice for the Packers on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

Welcome to the seventh day of training camp for the Green Bay Packers. Matt LaFleur’s team has completed two rounds of three consecutive practices and will now start up their third block of three on Tuesday. The practice marks the start of a big week, which ends Saturday with Family Night at Lambeau Field.

So, what will Day 7 bring at Ray Nitschke Field?

Here’s everything to know from Tuesday, July 30th, the seventh training camp practice of 2024:

Matt LaFleur pre-practice press conference

Injury updates

LaFleur said rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd and safety Kitan Oladapo would both make their training camp debuts on Tuesday. Lloyd has been out with a hip injury; Oladapo was recovering from offseason toe surgery.

Cornerback Robert Rochell and safety Zayne Anderson returned to practice after dealing with minor injuries. Tucker Kraft remains on the PUP list, while Deslin Alexandre and Keshawn Banks are missing another practice.

Live news and updates from practice

The Packers signed rookie cornerback Don Callis, who was with the team as a tryout player during rookie minicamp in May.

The Packers have also brought back long snapper Peter Bowden, who was released last week to make room for quarterback Jacob Eason.

The Packers announced six roster moves to start Week 2 of training camp: Callis, Bowden and cornerback LJ Davis were signed; kicker James Turner, fullback Henry Pearson and cornerback Zyon Gilbert were released.

Rookie MarShawn Lloyd is officially back.

Without Henry Peason, who was released, veteran tight end Tyler Davis got some H-back reps, per Wes Hodkiewicz.

An impressive summer for Romeo Doubs continues. The third-year receiver beat Jaire Alexander in 1-on-1s, per Matt Schneidman.

Jordan Morgan starting for the first-team offense at right guard in 11-on-11 work. Sean Rhyan got second-team work at guard. This is one of the top competitive battles on the roster.

Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph started the practice going 3-for-3, per Ryan Wood. They’ve both been solid to start camp.

Another kicking update: Joseph is now 6-for-6 on Tuesday, while Carlson had a miss from 41, per Rob Demovsky. So far during camp, Joseph is 22-of-24, while Carlson is 21-of-24.

The practice ends with a desperation period for the offense. Luke Musgrave dropped a potential touchdown before Eric Stokes won it for the defense with an interception, per Wes Hodkiewicz. Pushups for the offense.

Packers signing rookie CB Don Callis, a tryout player at rookie minicamp

The Green Bay Packers are signing cornerback Don Callis, a rookie out of Troy, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 

The Green Bay Packers are signing cornerback Don Callis, a rookie out of Troy, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Callis was in Green Bay as a tryout player during the team’s rookie minicamp in May. He will become the sixth tryout player from the rookie minicamp to eventually sign with the Packers, joining quarterback Jacob Eason, receiver Rory Starkey, offensive lineman Lecitus Smith, receiver Julian Hicks and reciever Dimitri Stanley.

Callis was also a tryout player during the San Francisco 49ers rookie minicamp.

Callis produced 26 tackles, 1.0 sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four pass breakups during the 2023 season, his lone season at Troy. Callis transferred from East Central (Okla.) University. Over 27 games at East Central, Callis had 20 pass breakups, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Callis was listed at 5-10 and 174 pounds during his pre-draft pro day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds, hit 33.5″ in the vertical leap, covered 9-11 in the broad jump and finished the three-cone drill in 7.7 seconds.

The Packers have a full roster and will need to make a corresponding roster move to fit Callis.

PHOTOS: Checking in on Katie Ledecky at Paris Olympics

Take a look at some highlights from Ledecky’s performance at the Paris Olympics so far. 

Women’s swimming legend [autotag]Katie Ledecky[/autotag] is off to a strong start to her fourth Olympic Games the past several days in Paris.

With her bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle on Saturday, Ledecky now has 11 Olympic medals with an eye on becoming the most decorated female Olympic swimmer of all time. She sits just one award away from tying Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Emma McKeon — all of whom are tied at the top with 12 apiece.

Along with fellow American Katie Grimes, Ledecky competed in the third and final heat for Wednesday’s 1500m freestyle finals, easily qualifying after taking an early lead that only grew as the race progressed. The volunteer Florida swim coach is very likely to medal in that event, earning her a share of Olympic immortality.

Take a look below at some highlights from Ledecky’s performance at the Paris Olympics so far. The 1500m freestyle finals will be held on Wednesday, July 31 at 2:04 p.m. ET.

Titans LB Arden Key facing six-game suspension

Tennessee Titans LB Arden Key is facing a six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Arden Key is facing a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, as first reported by Paul Kuharsky.

Key, a third-round draft pick in 2018, originally signed a three-year contract in free agency before last season after spending his first five seasons with Oakland/Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Jacksonville.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a breakout year in his first season in Nashville, recording 30 tackles, including four for loss, 12 quarterback hits, 6.0 sacks, two passes defensed, and two forced fumbles while playing in all 17 games, including nine starts.

Key was expected to be a pivotal contributor to the Titans’ pass rush this season, in addition to the likes of Jeffery Simmons, T’Vondre Sweat, and Harold Landry. Now, he will miss one-third of the season.

Assuming Key’s suspension holds at six games, he will be eligible to return for the Titans’ Week 8 matchup in Detroit. 

It would seem that Tennessee is now in the market to pick up a free-agent pass rusher prior to Week 1.

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Eddie Jackson compares Derrick Henry to reated player in a video game

Ravens safety Eddie Jackson compared running back Derrick Henry to a created player in a video game

The Baltimore Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry from the Tennessee Titans to a two-year, $16 million deal. He will represent an upgrade over the other rushers that Baltimore has had over the years, bringing a different dynamic to the team’s dominant rushing offense.

When asked about Henry, newly-signed safety Eddie Jackson compared his former Alabama teammate to that of a created player in a video game. He said that it doesn’t surprise him when he sees the rusher’s incredible build, saying, “That’s just D-Hen”

“‘Man that’s just ‘D-Hen’ [Derrick Henry]. He was looking like that since high school, so it doesn’t surprise me. I was talking to the guys today – when ‘D-Hen’ first walked on the field when I [saw] him at [The University of] Alabama I couldn’t believe how big he was. You know, you’ve seen the film, him being a Florida guy. Then [when] you see him in person, it’s like he’s a created player off a game.”

Baltimore notoriously only ran the ball six times with their running backs in their devastating AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That type of split likely won’t happen with Henry around, and he’ll look to make an impact in multiple facets of the game in 2024.

Ronnie Stanley praises 2nd year offensive guard Andrew Vorhees

Ronnie Stanley praises 2nd year offensive guard Andrew Vorhees

The Baltimore Ravens decided to overhaul the offensive line this year by letting guards John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler go in free agency while trading away right tackle Morgan Moses to the New York Jets.

With three openings on the offensive line now, the Ravens are banking on young talent stepping up and solidifying the unit. One such player is second-year guard Andrew Vorhees who appears to be the favorite to land the starting left guard position.

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was asked about his relationship with Vorhees.

“I think Andrew [Vorhees] is great,” Stanley said. “Ever since he got here, he’s been a student of the game and has just been trying to learn. Even the times he couldn’t really be on the field for practice, he’s been in all the meetings, he’s been here throughout all the offseason, and I come out … I’m very impressed with how fast he’s learning things, how fast he’s getting up to the speed of the game [and] how good of a shape he’s in. Everything is moving really fast for him., but he’s also adjusting really fast, and he’s getting better and better every day.”

Stanley was then asked if Vorhees was performing well with stunt handoffs on the left side of the line.

“Yes,” Stanley said. “There are going to be struggles and passing off twists. That’s why the defensive line runs those twists, because we have to be on the same page – the tackle and guard. Every single time we’ve run it, every single day, [Andrew Vorhees is] getting better and better. It gives me confidence as a tackle, knowing that the guard is going to make sure he’s stopping the penetration – and vice versa – each way it comes.”

Vorhees missed all of his rookie season in 2023 after falling to the seventh round of the draft due to a torn ACL at the NFL Combine.

Eddie Jackson on joining the Ravens: ‘It just felt natural’

Ravens safety Eddie Jackson said joining the Ravens felt natural

The Baltimore Ravens signed safety Eddie Jackson to a bargain of a deal. The total amount of the contract is $1.5 million, a steal for a player of his caliber.

Jackson was asked about his fit in Baltimore and had nothing but good things to say. He talked about how he’s coming into his new situation to work, saying that joining the Ravens felt like a natural fit for him.

“Just come in here and work. Keep your head down. Blinders on and just continue to work. Like I said, it’s a great group of guys in that locker room, so everyone is so open [armed] and so [welcoming]. It [feels] like I’m right at home. I know a lot of the guys – I grew up with a lot of the guys from the same place [in south Florida]. Like I said, it just felt natural. Even the staff, everyone around the building [has] been treating me so well. Everyone’s been so welcoming. It’s easy.”

Jackson has many connections to his new teammates from his life experiences, including Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith, and others. Baltimore seems to be treating Jackson well so far, and that trend will hopefully continue throughout the season.

Rookie Dallas Turner struggling but growing at Training Camp

Dallas Turner was one of the best defensive prospects in April’s NFL Draft, he is now learning what it means to be an NFL player.

Dallas Turner was one of the best defensive prospects in April’s NFL Draft, he is now learning what it means to be an NFL player. Playing at Alabama in the SEC meant he went against NFL talent every Saturday. Playing established NFL players, especially some of the best at their position, can lead to some growing pains.

Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated wrote about the rookie’s growing pains coming at the hands of Christian Darrisaw. The newly extended tackle for the Vikings is one of the best players at his position, it would be worrisome if Turner were dominating right away.

Ragatz agrees that this is what is best for Turner.

“Dallas Turner has had a solid start to camp and made a nice run stop at one point today, but he’s getting an NFL education from Christian Darrisaw. The Vikings’ star left tackle stonewalled Turner multiple times in this practice, which will only help make the rookie better.”

Rather, this is a sign that the rookie isn’t afraid to compete against the best in the NFL. In the NFC North especially, Turner is going to be going against the likes of Penei Sewell, Jordan Morgan, and Darnell Wright. He needs all the reps he can in camp to be ready to make an impact in Week 1.